Ladder to Leader: My Journey From Failure to Fire to Financial Freedom is a memoir by Ryan D. Larson, a full-time firefighter, principal Investment Advisor, and Founder of FirstLine Financial, LLC. Founded in 2015, FirstLine Financial earned a Service Mark from the US Patent office for the company’s intake process in 2020. Larson credits his time in the Phoenix Fire and other Arizona Fire Departments for teaching him organization and planning skills that inspired the company’s intake process. In the second half of the book, Larson introduces financial terms and products, using terminology and giving examples that make them simple to understand. The book is interesting from a memoir perspective and shares information, including case studies, to explain the financial investing terminology clearly and concisely. Larson shares childhood struggles which lead to his failures and frustrations as a high school graduate. A twist of fate led Larson to the Fire Department Explorer Program, which fueled his interest in becoming a firefighter. The fire department entrance exam changed his mindset, giving him confidence he gained carried him through the many challenges he had yet to face.